FIA Motorsport Games Karting Sprint Sr: Lithuania claims first Games gold

The surprise results continued in the karting Finals as Team Lithuania won gold in the Sprint Sr category.
 

While there is little doubting Markas Silkunas’ exceptional talent it was all eyes on home hero Ruben Moya Lopez ahead of the contest. Moya Lopez had won all three Heats during the weekend and was seemingly set to continue his dominant form in the Final.

A multiple-kart accident on the opening lap took out a number of competitors, as the huge field jostled for position in the early stages. Team Andorra’s Alex Machado and Lithuanian Silkunas settled into second and third respectively, before the latter got the better of the duel.
 

Moya Lopez was unable to get away from the chasing pack and maybe with the pressure of a medal-deciding final weighing on his shoulders, Silkunas made his mark on lap eight. The move wasn’t without controversy, however, as Moya Lopez’s kart ran wide and through the gravel following minor contact, before the #11 kart scrambled back onto the track down the order.
 

Silkunas pulled clear in the closing laps to win the first gold of the Games for Lithuania, whilst second place for Team Andorra represented the nation’s first silverware in the history of the FIA Motorsport Games. Moya Lopez responded well to fight his way back up to third as the home crowd celebrated the final karting action at the wonderful Aspar Circuit.